Few artists manage to constantly expand and experiment with each new release, particularly in the pop genre (although labelling this record as such is pretty meaningless), so to hear Bjork radically change her sound and outlook again with 'Homogenic' is nothing short of stunning. There was always a central dichotomy to her music: the Icelandic pixy with a huge voice certainly could entice us with her fairytale songs and quirky lyrics, but since 'Post', possibly even 'Debut', there was always a dark underbelly to her music that threatened her confusing demeanour, adding tension and life to a pair of remarkable albums. Where 'Debut' was a dance pop experiment with obvious reams of talent, and 'Post' was an eclectic, to say the least, collection of songs that tested each edge of her music, 'Homogenic' sees Bjork strip away the tasteful wacky woman of pop inage and craft an incredible record that deals with a darker side to her psyche in a gritty, unrelenting way.
Perhaps it was a failed relationship, or the stress of a very public life that catalysed this shift, but whatever the cause, 'Homogenic' is a very personal, dark album. Opener 'Hunter' is a good indication of the albums sound, with chilly strings and carefully looped beats never intruding on Bjorks powerful, emotionally charged vocals. Songs like 'Bachelorette' and '5 years' run more as extended mood pieces than short pop songs, with dense orchestration and memorable lyrics. The albums final track, 'All is full of Love', is particularly uplifting, and serves as a gorgeous, sweeping, evocative way to close the album on a note of hope and redemption that reminds us that for Bjork, the making of the album has been cathartic and more than a futile exercise in self pity. Bjork offers a route to happiness and contentment through her music which , I feel, it is hard not to admire.
Very nearly a masterwork, the album suffers only from 'Alarm call' sounding out of place and, I suppose, being too short. Overall though this is cerytainly the most unique of her albums, and that makes it a rewarding, emotionally engaging, singualr experience. I dont think that I could ask for anything more, or want to.
[Note: also get a hold of her 2001 release 'Vespertine' which, yes, further updates and expands her sound. I think it'll be kind of hard to review though so I wont try, you'll just have to trust me....]

Blackwater Park is an album of amalgamation and perfection, not just for Opeth but for metal as a whole. Until this point, Opeth had been carving out a niche of their own in the world of heavy music, with releases like the stunning 'My arms, Your hearse' or 'Still Life'. But Blackwater Park truly is a 'monumetal mark' to quote the title track, not just in terms of a vision fully realised, bit in terms of finally eliminating any barriers that might be left to the band to take their music onto a new level.
What is immediately apparent upon listening to the opener 'The Leper Affinity' is not just the seamlessness, the perfected ebb and flow of the music, but the incredible comfort with which this supremely talented band approaches music of extreme complexity. Much of this crystal clear, coherent sound can be laid, I believe, at the door of genius producer Steven Wilson, of Porcupine Tree fame. The vocal harmonies have certainly bear his influence, and by God, this record sees some of the best vocal parts they've yet laid down on tape, from the hypnotic mid section of 'Bleak' to the heartbreaking chorus of 'Harvest'. 'Blackwater park' sees the band stretching its creative muscles like never before. Each song has its own distinctive stamp, and each is filled with reams of immaculate ideas and intelligent execution. 'Bleak' has a unique, middle Eatern tinged riff, 'Harvest' evokes sepia coloured autumn days perfectly, while 'The Drapery Falls' rides in on a lilting, melancholy melody that returns in its conclusion and draws tears to my eyes. But the culmination of the record comes in the practically transcendent title track, which surely merits a high water mark for what can be done with the metal genre. It is unrelenting, brutal but hopelessly delicate, the middle section representing acoustic perfection. The cataclysmic conclusion has to be heard to be believed.
One aspect of the record which I've rarely seen commented on is the quality of Akerfeldt's lyrics. His grasp of imagery and his ability to match the words to the mood of the music are particularly immpressive. Worthy of note is the recurring theme of disease and purity, not the most original theme for a metal band, but tackled with real taste. Grotesque images like 'Lepers coiled beneath the trees' and 'perversions bloom(ing) round the bend' are effective in highlighting the dense, intertwined, ghastly nature of the music, while his smart use of natural imagery to paint his evil portraits around, (trees and flowers feature in the above lines) lead one into considering deeper themes of dangerous conempt for natural power, and our task to safeguard the natural world. A brief and obtuse reading of his poetry, perhaps, but a necessary one.
A lanmark release, 'Blackwater park' is utterly obligatory for fans of this type of thing, but newcomers are highly recommnded to start here, with Opeth at least, as this record is very cleverly constructed to reveal layers of complexity beneath initial accessiblity. In fact it's the kind of record people will come back to in 20 years and say: 'That was the most important CD of its time'. The word for this kind of album is, of course, 'masterpiece'.

The refernce to Eden in the title is very appropriate. There is something primal about the music on this Cd, a kind of stripped down beauty only hinting at the power it possesses, the power of nature itself. Talk Talk discarded almost everything that made them recognisable as a band, eschewing programmed synths and predictable song structures, in fact all the trappings of the lacklustre new romantic movement, and forged ahead into new, organic territory. The record is warm and extremely spacious, with a plethora of instruments sprinkled throughout the lengthy pieces, each player neglecting virtuoso performances and instead contributing to the overall dynamic, the massive group sound the album is geared towards. Its hardly surprising that this album took 14 months to record, that it was done in a deserted church or that, of course, the record label dropped them after being unable to find anything even approximating to a single on here. The six songs conatined here essentially defy any kind of description, as there is little ground for comparison with any music I've heard yet. They are pften long, often seem to meander into each other and rarely include the same type of instrumentation. Each piece is mellow and relaxing, with guitar used very sparingly, a strategy that is most effective on the second track, 'Eden'. Hollise's plaintive vocals retain some of the new wave incompetence and general incoherence, but he has an extremely powerful voice which fits the delicate, rambling nature of the dongs perfectly. Not that the songs are directionless though, as repeated lisrens reveal structure but very little that is predictable. The epic opener 'The Rainbow' starts out with some careful jamming and descends into a miniscule verse and a chorus that leaves one drained as it fades away. 'Desire' has a jaw dropping percusive section right in the middle, which melts back into the chorus so easily its hard to comprehend how clever what youv'e just heard really is. 'Wealth' the closer, is almst too plaintive, with Hollis baring his heart over hardly any instrumentation.
This is progressive, forward thinking music in its most raw, pure form, done exactly as it should be done: without a hint of pretension, with skill used effectively, creating music that is challenging but ultimately very accessible and never boring. This Cd is utterly unique and that seems reason enough to recommend it to everyone to me. It will reward careful repeated listens by open minded people who are willing to give a chance to something new and pretty. Powerful, cathartic, raw, pure emotional, experimental, relaxing, essential. An incomparable experince, and simply one of the best albums yet recorded.

King's X is more an enigma than a band, defining the idea of a hugely talented group of musicians who can never seem to find commercial success. Despite a string of critically acclaimed, genre defying albums in the late 80s and early 90s, the band has never found a mass audience, largely relying on a dedicated fan base and a handful of hardcore music fans to buy their records. This lack of success could, in part, be blamed on the bands incredible uniqueness. King's X are light years ahead of so many bands that appeared at this time of alternative rock crossing into the mainstream, both in terms of artistic ingenuity, intelligence and refusal to follow trends and devalue their incredible music. This album, thought by many to be their best, showcases every facet of their sound in the best possible way. What makes this band, this album so compelling is not a single factor: rather, it is an intersection if inspired ideas, huge raw talent and many years of very hard work. The entire band are talented songwriters, with a sense of melodic craftsmanship that is second to none. In this respect, their closest peers are The Beatles, yet King's X push the envelope in so many ways identifying a single influence is irrelevant. They certainly have arty tendencies, but they never sacrifice a vocal trick or refuse to use a melodic riff repeatedly. The whole band have incredible chops: Tabor is an underrated guitar god, Pinnick throws out monstrous bass grooves, and Jerry Gaskill's rhythmic assault is the most important aspect of their sound (listen to the intense, plodding rhythm of this albums opener if you dont believe me).
So, on to 'Gretchen'. Their sophomore release is a more fully realized, ambitious record than their stupendously good debut 'Out of the silent planet', although I dont think its _quite_ as good. Following that album was always going to be difficult, so the most impressive thing about 'Gretchen' is their evident growth as a band. Indeed, they seem resolved to hit us square in the face with the breadth of their talent and scope. The opener 'Out of the Silent Planet', with dreamy sitar flourishes, groove oriented riffs and a wordless, ethereal and very melodic chorus is resolutely eerie, menacing and monstrous, destroying any preconceptions we may have harboured. Hearing rhe stunning change of direction into 'Over my head' their most recognisable and infectious song would put most bands to shame, yet for me it is the descent into the luscious, tantalizing 'Summerland', surely one of their finest songs, which sums up the albums glorious diversity and vision. Add to this groove inspired, funk influenced numbers like'Everybody knows a little bit..' or 'I'll never be the same', the intensely religious, televangelist satire of 'Mission' (with a gorgeous organ intro), the progressive, almost Rush-esque breakdown in the midst of the delicate 'Pleiades' and the crushing, dreamy dirge of the closer 'The Burning Down' (one of their most unique tracks), exemplary, well focused rockers like 'Send a message' and 'Dont believe it' and you have a very consistent record indeed. In fact, only 'Fall On me' is sub par, and it still makes most everything else I've heard seem tame.
If you want one of the best, most immaculately produced, well written and intelligent rock albums of the last two decades, I recommend 'Gretchen'. It even has a great cover, really cool booklet and a little story inside. Also, 'Over my head' has the best guitar solo ever. Buy it now, please, and make a silly prog fan happy.

Many months ago, my girlfriend bought me my first jazz album, probably in an attempt to entice me away from all this silly progressive rock music. It was a wise move, as these things turn out, as 'A Love Supreme' is slowly but surely becoming one of my favourite cds. It feels like an integral part of my collection. Now that the time has arrived to review this album, one of a few things I'd like to review on this site I think I can safely call a masterpiece, I am seemingly at a loss. I dont have nearly enough knowledge of jazz music yet to discuss this albums historical impact, place it in any context, or give a detailed treatment of the textures, moods and tones evoked within. What I can do, however, is tell you exactly why I like it, and like it I do. Very much.
Unsurprisingly, it was the first piece, 'Acknowledgment', that initially reached out and compelled me, and I've been hooked on it ever since. I love the flurry of noise and notes from the sax that jumps right out at you the minute you hit play on the cd player. Its gentle and welcoming, and it prepares me perfectly for the elation that is inevitable when the first melody kicks in, right after that sombre and jumping bass line. I cant get over how gorgeous the main 'da-dwee-da, da-DWEE-da' sax line is. I find it quite, well, ingenious I suppose. Theres really interesting sax work throughout the whole of the first piece, which I'm still coming to terms with. Towards the end of this first movement, Coltrane lowers his sax and launches into the 'A Love Supreme' chant, the only instance of any vocals on the album. I also find it to be of the most fascinating parts of the record, as I still seem to get a surprise every time I hear it, even though I know exactly when its coming.
'Resolution', the second part, is my favourite piece from the record. The main melody is just indescribably excellent, particularly when it sneaks back in at the end. Theres also some incredible piano work, and I love the way the whole piece just rolls along so unstoppably. Elvin Jones gets a little drum showcase at the start of the third part 'Pursuance' which excites me greatly, being a drummer myself. Its an excellent display, and I like the way it builds up into the main part of the song. This track has to be the most intense on the album. The drums just seem to pound away and I really find the whole thing quite draining. Despite this, its a very clever bit of music, particularly in the way all the instruments interlock. I think Coltrane takes a bit more of a backseat in it though. The final movement, 'Psalm', is very moving, a fitting coda to a deeply spiritual and uplifting experience. Its mellow, poignant and supremely effective, with a mournful main melody which is complemented by washes of drums and keys.
I find this album to be transcendent and imbued with seemingly limitless depth. I find it easy to study to, to relax to, or to just sit down and listen to and be thrown into and emotional and intellectual rollercoaster ride. I dont think its for the musically recalcitrant, narrow minded or impatient, and it will require numerous repeated listens to fully unleash its full potential. I suppose thats a warning, but if youve read this far Im sure you wont be daunted by any of my caveats. If you do buy this album, I hope you find it as instructive, intriguing and inspirational as I have.

'Signify' is a record which heralds a new direction for Porcupine Tree, and sees them cohere as a band, crafting accessible yet subtely complex songs, although this album is nowhere near as straightforward (and, I suppose, as good) as something like 2002's wonderful 'In Absentia'.
Steven Wilson has an undeniable knack for churning out eerie, startlingly sombre melodies, which populate the bitesize, perfectly crafted nuggets of pop-psychedelia that make up about half of this album. A number of features of this record appeal to me immensely. Porcupine Tree found their own musical niche with this record, mixing unabashed psychedelia, flirting with Wilson's interest in 70's prog and the like, as well as plugging in the guitars for some overt thrash metal. What makes 'Signify' so strong is the fact that diverese influences coalesce to engender a record that is very focused yet treads ground that lesser bands would never even consider. Wilson's lyrics are also strong and idiosyncratic, dealing with horror and boredom in life around the late 1990s.
The songs themselves are uniformly strong. The title track , which opens the record after 'Bornlivedie' tantalises us with a minute or so of phone noise and effects (the way the phone goes off the hook then melds into the track is supremely cool) is heavy and dense, an instrumental that sounds like the band is aiming at a full on metal album. Its a fine cut, and when the band segue effortlessly into the lush, low key 'Sleep of no Dreaming' which has a perfect, melancholy chorus, things are taking shape nicely. I love 'Waiting', with its intensely singable chorus, while the second part of the song has some excellent bass playing and is supremely atmospheric. With songs like 'Intermediate Jesus' and the excellent 'Idiot Prayer' the band attacks more experimental, lengthy instumental ideas, sounding more like they did in their early days. Wilson gets to flex his pop muscles with gems like 'Sever' and 'Every home is wired', satirising late 20th century life and churning out gorgeous melodies in the process. The unidisputed highlight is, however, the epic finale 'Dark matter', a song which pulls the entire sound and ethos of the album together and places them into the most lucious, low-fi, moody closer imaginable.
As both a testament to the bands progression, and a fine record in its own right, 'Signify' is one of the finest albums by Porcupine Tree I have heard so far. Some of it takes repeated listens to kick in, but one of the great attractions of this album is that cuts like 'Waiting' are just instantly accesible and had me hooked into this dreamy world from the outset. As its a kind of 90's Pink Floyd, psychedelic progressive rock thrash metal album with a social conscience, its not going to appeal to everyone (was that ever an understatement) but if what you hear tickles your fancy, I guarantee you wont go wrong with 'Signify'.

'Still Life' might just be my favourite heavy metal album. There, said it. I want to discard hyperbole in this review, and lead anyone who reads it into the core of this remarkable piece of work.
Opeth are like a ten ton hammer wrapped in velvet. Its actually almost impossible to describe them and fully get across how their music SOUNDS though. Theres deat metal growls, which I used to hate (I wonder how many fledgling Opeth fans find themselves typing that?), theres incongrous, simply catchy parts, theres stunning acoustic guitar playing, theres thrash runs vicious enough to rip your eras off. But Opeth, despite having all that, are something....more.
'Sill Life' has a very important edge over the bands other albums, and many of its competitors: it tells an intriguing, bleak, enthralling story. I wont (and cant) give anyrthing away here, as I havent even come close to deciphering all Akerfeldt's lyrics. Essentially, the album follows a man returning to his home after 15 years, searching for a character called Melinda. Following, analysing and being gripped by the story is half the fun of this record. So, its a conecpt album, or a theme album I suppose, but what really propels it above so much dire, bland and ludicrous extreme metal music is the sheer diversity, the range, the techinical ability and musical ingenuity contained here. Opeth sprinkle touches of progressive rock, psychedelia and wistful acoustic balladry throughout this record, but pull it all together in impossibly seamless fashion. Akerfeldt
, who writes the lyrics and plays one hell of an acoustic guitar, draws on and perpetuates the ideals of his death metal roots, utilizing the bleak lyrical style, evoking reams of misery and despair and growling his way through songs that are entirely unconventional in structure.
Opener 'The Moor' is out and out stunning, with a dreamy intro and gorgeous mid section. 'Godhads lament' has one of the most bizzarely catchy parts Ive ever heard in a song so brutal: 'searching my way to perplexion' It even has some 'ahh, ahh's. 'Benighted' discards growling vocals and crunchy guitars entirely, focusing on melody and a delightful chorus. 'Face of melinda', the albums centrepiece, is jaw-dropping, letting a vivid intro explode into life suddenly late in the songs.
Ok, I've droned on enough. If you like metal, prog metal, or are just open minded enough to go for an album that, I assure you, is actually fairly physically and mentally draining, then buy this instantly. Look past the growls and wild riffs, and discover some extremely original and vital music. Remember, your parents wont like it, your girlfriend might not like it, your pets wont like it, but embracing Opeth might just make you a better person.

Potentially the album that displays their unabashed debt to heavy metal in the most obvious manner, 'Train Of Thought' is less of a departure for the band as some have argued. Certainly, the grinding intensity of much of the music here surpasses even 1994's 'Awake' opus in terms of sheer metal mayhem, but almost all the trademark stylistic elements of Prog-Metal's flagship titans are still evident. Where 'Train of Thought' falls short is not in its songwriting prowess or artistic development: rather, the album feels like an interesting and in some spots profound experiment that unfortunately restricts the band into a self-imposed format that only hampers the blazing outpouring of skill we've come to expect.
Its interesting to look at this album as a companion piece to 2001's 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence', and not a diametrically opposed rethink of direction as many seem to dub it. 'Six Degrees' explored the bands roots in 70's symphonic prog bands, with a full disc suite packed with melody and grandiose hooks. 'Train' sees them embrace the heavy metal aspect of their sound, stripping back any bloated ideals to an incandescent core. At least, thats what I believe was intended. What emerges here is an album that is resplendent with ingenious ideas, but never seems to synthesize the elements into a coherent statement like thay have achieved in the past. Opener 'As I Am' immediately recalls 'Black' album era Metallica in its driving riffage and stop-start structure. The lyrics seemed like a powerful wake up call to me on first lsten, urging detractors to approach this album with no preconcieved ideas. As a lead single and entry track it works well, yet I feel it seriously lacks longevity, and could even detract from the albums impact over time. 'This Dying Soul' gets better and better with each sitting. Extending some of the musical ideas inaugurated on 'The Glass Prison' but mixing elements effortlessly, the first half of the song revolves around simply one of the best chorus hooks they've ever produced, while the second melts into a furious barrage of guitar and keys that is only beginning to take form in my mind. 'Endless Sacrifice' is another perfectly formed epic, with a driving chorus complementing a dreamy verse. The concluding section is really fantastic, and makes the lengthy song flash by instantly.
'Stream of Consciousness' certainly owes a stylistic and structural debt to Metallica's 'Orion', especially in the central, epic riff, but 'SOC' may even surpass that classic instrumental. For me, its by far the best thing here, accomplishing almost everything one could ever want a 12 minute instrumental to do (and then some), showcasing almost every shred of talent the band posseses and condensing reams of ideas into a masterful epic. 'In the Name of God' is a massive closer that tackles some topical themes well, although some of the lyrics feel slightly forced. Taking the time to address issues like religious Hypocrisy and pretexts for war doesnt, for me, feel at all necessary on a self proclamied heavy metal album, so I'm glad they decided to end on a thoughtful note. The songs music runs the gamut from breathless build ups to chugging riffs and huge choruses, a 15 minute fabric that allows for plenty of virtuoisty and showmanship.
Only 'Honor Thy father' seems rather underdeveloped to me: the chorus is less tham memorable, some sections are downright cringe inducing ('Dont cross the crooked step' anyone?) and only a few parts of the song redeem any interest.
As an intentional foray deeper into a core element of their sound, 'Train' is pretty much as good an album as I could expect from Dream Theater. It is lacking in places, and flaws seem to jumpout far more readily here than on anything else they've ever done. The keys often feel buried beaneth waves of guitar, John Myung is even more sidelined than before here (when will the band wake up and realise just how important it is to allow him to write the lyrics for at least one song), and even Portnoy's drums feel slightly less inspirational than before. Dont get me wrong, this is still a great album, and mandatory for fans. New fans would be well advised to start elsewhere though. Worth the money, but not their best, by a long shot.

Pearl Jam certainly dont seem to take their fans for granted, releasing this and a live DVD on the same day a few weeks ago. As the alpha exports of the Seattle scene which exploded a decade ago, they have always been prolific, but for the first time this compilation of b-sides, rarities and all sorts finally puts into perspective just _how_ prolific these seemingly invincible veterans are. Not only that, 'Lost Dogs' is a searing testament to the breadth and extraordinary wealth of talent the band posseses. This being Pearl Jam, their compilation is not just any old collection of ragtags. What we have here is cuts that never made it on to the bands studio albums, perhaps because they did not adhere to a specific mood or tone the album was intended to evoke, or perhaps because they simply would have pushed the albums running time out too far. This should make it plain that a lot of the unreleased material here is easily as good as anything on their studio efforts. Of course, die-hards would already be aware of this, having been engrossed in singing the classic 'Yellow Ledbetter' at concerts for years now. This song finally sees the light of day here, along with forgotten gems like 'Black, Red Yellow' and 'Dead Man'.
What makes 'Lost Dogs' special for me though is not the effortless consistency present in the material, or the joy of hearing old standards re-packaged and produced, and heard as they were meant to be heard. The songs on 'Lost Dogs', presented in this format, transcend any of the tired cliches surrounding 'grunge' and all its trappings, displaying the raw wealth of Pearl Jam's talent and stripping their entire ethos back to its roots. Theres a distinct pleasure, not to mention satisfaction, in hearing gorgeous 'Binaural' era cuts like 'Sad' and 'Fatal' alongside classics like Alone' or 'Wash'. Even 'Riot Act' outtakes like 'Down' shinelike diamonds in amongst these gems. Indeed, one feels like this is the archetype form for a Pearl Jam release: songs like the relentlessly sombre and delicate 'strangest tribe' rub shoulders so well with exuberant covers of 'Leaving Here', or the silly 'Gremmie out of control' that a sense that the band are really enjoying themselves and letting, well, it all hang out so to speak permeates the record.
I shouldnt really have to preach to fans here: this record is utterly mandatory for you. The highest accolade I can bestow here is that, for future beginners, fans like me may well see fit to direct them to 'Lost Dogs' to locate the apex of the bands career. An enduring and essential testament to a formidable talent, 'Lost Dogs' recieves my highest possible recommendation.

Since Tool exploded onto the scene in 1992, Maynard James Keenan has been a powerful force in the fieldof challenging and expressive music. To call A Perfect Circle his 'side-project' would be to commit a grave fallacy though, as A Perfect Circle can only be viewed as a band in the classical sense of the word. Despite this, Maynard and Billy Howerdrel certainly emerged as the creative force behind the unit on their debut, 'Mer des Noms' which was a perfectly compact selection of biting and at times beautiful music, which pushed the band into a small genre of their own, with their transecndental melodies and spacious instrumentation. Since Tool's 2001 masterpiece 'Lateralus'my expectations for 'Thirteenth Step' have been running at fever pitch, and now its finally here it delivers in style.
Many people seem to look on A Perfect Circle as a kind of second rate tool,or a mellower alternative to switch to as mood dictates. This is most certainly not so. On 'Thirteenth Step' the band moves even farther toward carving a musical niche entirely their own. Indeed, much of the material here is drastically original, and the album holds together as a sprawling statement rather than a disparate collection of songs.
At first I was rather taken aback by the fact that thealbum seemed to abandon the ruthless consistency of quality that characterised 'Mer Des Noms'. the band have progressed to a musical space that is extremely dreamy and elegant, with heaviness used very sparingly, and each instrument contributing in almost equal measure to the whole. Opener 'The Package' is over seven minutes long, which I certainly did not expect, and it epitomises the album extremely well, combining ethereal lyrics and delicate guitars with Maynard's powerful vocals caressing us gently, then exploding into life as the song jumps in a heavy direction. The lead single 'Weak and Powerless' is actually one of the weaker full songs here, which is saying something, as its a very accomplished track, with a deceptively catchy vocal hook.
My standout tracks are 'The Noose', which seems to see Maynard attack organised religion yet again, and 'The Outsider' whose lyrics are violent and impulsive, with Maynard intoning 'disconnect and self distruct one moment at a time.....everyone will have his day to die'. As one of the heaviest songs present here, 'Pet' is also a definite highlight, with crunching guitars and somewhat worrying lyrics.
At the risk of undermining my authoritarian stance when it comes to music, I'd never heard of Failure before tracking down the original authors of 'The Nurse who Loved me', but I must admit the version on'Thirteenth Step' is superb, and is something of a departure for the band, being a quirky and almost comic number which is jam packed with hooks .I like it a lot, and will investigate failure as a result (which islikely what Maynard and Billy intended).
This review has become gargantuan, So I should round up by saying that Josh Freeses' drums are absolutely killer throughout this record, Billy's guitars are sweepingly original and tasteful, and the production as a whole is stunning, with incredible textures and vivid soundscapes combining effortlessly. My only gripe with the record is that songs like 'Crimes', 'Lullaby' and 'Vanishing' feel underdeveloped, despite being beautiful and dreamy. I do believe they add to the album's overall impact though.
A Perfect Circle are one of the most relevant, original and vital bands on planet earth right now, and this opus only serves to consolidate their postition as forerunners in a movement of intelligent and techical rock music that transcends the demands of the mainstream.
Hugely recommended.